Web belt loader



Feb. 28, 1950 M. J. GREBOWIEC 2,499,139

WEB BELT LOADER Filed 001;. 4, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1y INVENTOR MICHAEL J GREBOW/EC AT TORNEY Patented Feb. 28, 1950 WEB BELT LOADER Michael J. Grebowiec, Kansas City, Kans., assignor to Remington Arms Company, 1110., Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Delaware Application October 4, 1945, Serial No. 620,312

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates in general to ammunition manufacturing machinery and, particularly, to an improved machine for automatically loading cartridges into a web belt.

In general, cartridges are fed to fully automatic firearms, of the type commonly known as machine guns, by means of cartridge belts. The latter fall into two general classes, the so called link belt which comprises a plurality of metallic links adapted to be held together by an interconnecting cartridge and to separate when the cartridge is removed; and a web belt which comprises two strips of relatively heavy woven material sewed together by transverse rows of stitching to form a plurality of cartridge receiving pockets. In one form of web belt, the width of each pocket is narrower at one end than at the other, the narrower width forming a restriction in the pocket adapted to receive the bullet, the wider portion of the pocket being of sufficient size to accommodate the body of the cartridge. In loading the belt each cartridge is inserted into the wider end of the pocket, bullet end first, and is adapted to be pushed forwardly into the pocket until the shoulder of the case brings up against the restricted portion of the pocket in which position, the bullet is firmly gripped by the pocket restriction and the portion of the case immediately to the rear of the shoulder of the case is gripped by the wider portion of the pocket. For practical purposes, the frictional grip with which the cartridge is held in its pocket must be considerable, and consequently, a very appreciable force is necessary to push a cartridge fully into its pocket.

Heretofore, cartridges have been inserted into the pockets of a web belt by guiding the belt into the bite of a pair of intermittently rotating feed rolls which feed the belt along a horizontal track, each pocket of the belt being momentarily halted opposite a pusher adapted to advance in a direction transverse to the length of the belt to push a cartridge into a pocket thereof, the bite of the feed rolls being relied upon to prevent the belt from moving transversely during the cartridge pocketing operation- The bite of the feed rolls has not been adequate to overcome this tendency and as a result, the cartridges have been improperly arranged and inadequately secured in the successive pockets of the belts.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved machine for loading cartridges into the pockets of a web belt. A further object is to provide improved means in a web ment of the belt while loading cartridges therein. A still further object is to provide a web belt Fig. 2 is a schematic fragmentary plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1. g

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the machine in the direction of arrows 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the machine in the direction of arrows 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a schematic fragmentary end elevation in the direction of arrows 5--5 of Fig. 2.

It will be understood that the invention is of general application to machines of the type adapted to insert articles into suitable receptacles and that the particular machine shown in the drawings is by way of illustration only, and

does not constitute a limitation of the invention, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, the machine with which the present invention has application and which, for the purposes of identification, is known to the trade as the Standard Knapp caliber .30 belt loader, comprises in general a base ID on which is supported a frame I! having a substantially horizontal bed [2, see Figs. 3 and 4,

embodying belt supporting tracks l3 and l 4 which constitute extensions of the bed l2. The track I3 is at the leading end of the bed !2 and is providedwith a downwardly curved approach sur face l3 which is adapted to guide the web belt B up onto the bed l2, the belt being drawn out of' a web belt supply box 15 secured to the frame II of the machine. The track [4 is secured at the discharge end of the bed, its outer end being supported by a bracket Hi.

Cartridges are delivered to the web belt loading machine from a hopper or other suitable source (not shown) by means of an escalator indicated generally at I! by which cartridges are carried up and over the perimeter of the conbelt loading machine to prevent transverse movetinuously moving escalator belt (not shown) and fall by gravity down through a vertical guide l8 into a cartridge magazine shown generally at IS in Fig. 2. The magazine I9 is tothe rear of the longitudinal path of movement of the belt B, as defined by the tracks l3 and i 4, see Fig. 2, so that cartridges which are to be delivered from the magazine 19 into the belt must be fed forwardly. Moreover, as delivered from the magazine 59 the longitudinal axes of the cartridges are substantialy perpendicular to the belt track.

Referring to Fig. 2, the cartridge feeding mechanism comprises a reciprocable pusher block 20 having a pusher head 22 provided with two cartridge engaging shoulders 23 and 24, the shoulder 24 being adjacent the discharge aperture -:of the magazine [9 and rearwardly of the shoulder 23. These shoulders 23 and 24 are adapted to progressively engage a cartridge to advance the cartridge in two successive steps into a pocket of the belt in the manner hereinafter described. The pusher block is slidably mounted in suitable guides 25 of the frame ll substantially perpendicular to the web belt track, the block 2B being h reciprocated in its guides 25 by a link 26 which is pivotally connected at one end to the forward end of the block and at its opposite or rear (end to a crank :pin 2? eccentrically mounted on a rotatable hub 28. The latter is secured on one end of a main drive shaft 29 which is rotatably supported in suitable bushings 38 in a substantially'horizontal plane in the frame ll. Theopposite end of the shaft 29 is connected to and driven by a power source not shown.

Keyed to the drive shaft 291s :a drum cam comprising a "pair of disks 33 held apart in spaced parallel relationship by a cylindrical member 34, eachdisk'having'a cam block .35 on its inner face, the blocks being arranged in substantially diametrically opposite relationship.

Pivota'lly mounted in the frame on a substantially vertical shaft .36 is a rocker or bell crank lever 31, one arm 38 being disposed adjacent the drum cam and having a roller mounted therein arranged to be disposed between the disks 33 of the drum and to be engaged successively by the cam blocks '35 during the rotation thereof 'to'oscillate the rocker in a substantially horizontal plane. The arm '39 of the rocker is associated with an arm holding device indicated generally at 4.0 for temporarily locking the arm :38 in'either of its positions of displacement.

Supported on the rocker shaft 3.6 beneath the maker :31 is a second bell crank lever '42, having arms it-and M, the arm'ilt being provided with a stud which protrudes up through an arcuate slot 46 in the arm 39 of the rocker 31. The arm' l l comprises a relatively thin substantially flat plate having a reinforcing rib 440 on its undersideand at its forward edge. The plate 44 constitutes a .displaceable bottom for the magazine L9 while the rib 44!] constitutes means to move a "cartridge, which has been released from the magazine, into the path of the pusher block 22, the face of the rib 440 being arcuate to better embrace the cartridge. Thus, as the rocker 31 is swung counterclockwise (Fig. 2) the engagement of the pin 45 in the arcuate slot 46 of the arm 39 will'cause the plate 44 to swing'counterclockwise from beneath the column of cartridges in the magazine 1 9 and enable one cartridge to-drop down onto a suitable support (not shown) in front of the rib member 440. Thereafter as the plate 44 is pivoted clockwise, it will be moved beneath the next succeeding cartridge in the magazine to support it while the rib member 440. pushes the released cartridge to a position in front of the shoulder 24 of the pusher head 22. As the rib member 440 returns to its normal position, the pusher head 20 willbe advanced to move 4 the cartridge, bullet end first, toward the web belt, as hereinafter described.

Supported on a substantially vertical post 41, adjacent the edge of the belt track and extending slightly into the path of an advancing cartridge, is a shuttle 48 for partially opening the pockets of the belt to facilitate entry of the cartridges. The shuttle, see Figs. 1 and 5, comprises a disk which is eccentrica'lly mounted on the rotatable post 41 and which rotates in a substantially horizontal plane. A coil spring 41 is carried on the post All and is connected to the shuttle to bias it to a normal position. The periphery of the disk or shuttle embodies an eccentric arcuate tongue member 49, the outer edge or periphery of which is grooved. The tongue is substantially wedge-shaped in cross section and is adapted to be engaged substantially tangentially by the bullet of an advancing cartridge and to be rotated thereby against the force of the return spring so as :to 'enter the forward .end of the tongue 49 into a substantially closed pocket of *the belt. As the wedge-shaped tongue is forced between the upper and lower .i-fabrics of the pocket, the latter will be expanded so as to facilitate entry of the nose of a bullet into the pocket.

'As cartridges re advanced by the reciprocating pusher head 22 from the "magazine l9 to the web belt B, the latter is "fed intermittently along the tracks 13 and M. The belt feeding means comprises a star wheel 50 located beneath the web belt and carried .on one end .of a shaft "52 which is rotatably supported in the frame I i at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the belt track. The star wheel :51] is keyed to the shaft 252 and is disposed in substantially the center of the track with its points or teeth projecting slightly above the plane of the track sufficiently to engage the belt fabric and drag the belt along the track. The rotation of the star wheel 50 is intermittent, being controlled by suitable ratchet mechanism indicated generally at 153, the latter being actuated by a pawl lever 54 "which is connected to a yoke 55 pivotally mounted on a rock arm 56 carried-on the end of a rock shaft'51. At the opposite end of the latter is asecond rock arm 58 having a cam roller 59 in engagement with a drum cam 60 keyedto the main-drive shaft 29. The ratchet mechanism is adapted to be adjusted so that the star wheel .53 will advance the web belt in successive steps corresponding to the width of one pocket of the web belt.

Suitable means is provided to hold the web belt down firmly in engagement with the teeth of the star wheel 50 so as to prevent'l-ateral displacement of the belt durin-g'the pocket loading operations and comprises a resiliently mounted upper star wheel 62, see Fig. 3, freely rotatable on a stud shaftfit which "is carried on one end of a pivotally mounted arm '64, the shaft'63 being normally in a substantially horizontal plane above the track, at substantially right angles thereto and displaced slightly in advance or to the right (see Fig. 3) of the sha'ftS'E of the lower star wheel '50. As shown, the bite of the upper and lower star wheels is thus substantially in alignment with the shoulder 23 of the pusher head 22, for the purpose hereinafter described.

The arm 64 has a boss 64' at its opposite end to receive a suitable shaft 65 by which the arm 6 is pivotally mounted on the apertured tongue portionBB of a hinged bracket 6'1. The shaft 65 .is extended through the tongue 66 to threadedly engage and support a handle 68 on the outside of the bracket 61. The opposite ends of the bracket have countersinks which provide bearings 69 for the conical ends of suitable pintles which are threadedly secured in bosses I2 located at spaced points on the front of the frame II. On the end of the hinged bracket 61, opposite the lever arm 64, is a plate I3 welded or otherwise secured to the bracket so as to extend at substantially right angles to its longitudinal axis and adapted normally to lie in a horizontal plane above the web belt. Secured on the underside of the plate 13 by bolts or other fastening means, is a longitudinally slotted guide plate 14 adapted, in its normal position, to overlie the upper surface o-f the web belt so as to guide the latter along the track. An upwardly extending flange I5 is shown provided along the outside edge of the plate M, the flange I5 having a longitudinal slot 75 which is adapted to support a microswitch 76 for longitudinal adjustment therein. The microswitch has a projecting contact finger TI which extends down through the slot I4 of the presser plate It and is adapted normally to engage the web belt and to be held thereby in a position to energize the microswitch. If, however, there is no belt passing beneath the presser plate It, the finger 'I'I will be freed and drop down to open the microswitch circuit thereby to automatically stop the machine.

At the end of the guide plate I4, opposite that at which the microswitch I6 is secured, is an offset 140 to the underside of which is secured a resiliently supported presser plate or shoe IS, the latter having a belt engaging surface comprising teeth which extend longitudinally substantially in the direction of movement of the belt and which are adapted normally to engage the upper surface thereof to prevent the belt from creeping laterally. Secured on the top of the plate 73 is a bracket latch finger I9 which is arranged to be engaged by a hook 80 on the upper end of a lever arm 82 which is pivotally supported at its lower end in the frame II and normally held in latching engagement with the finger 19 by a coil tension spring 83. A suitable crank 80 is provided to actuate the hook 80 for releasing the finger [9. Normally the finger I9 will be engaged by the hook 80 to lock the associated star wheel 62, guide plate It, and presser shoe 18 of the hinged bracket in operating position.

As pointed out above, the upper star wheel is carried on a pivoted arm 64. The latter is spring biased normally to press the upper star wheel down firmly against the web belt. To this end, a plate 85 is provided having a boss 86 at one end and a longitudinal slot 81 at its opposite end. Suitable apertures are provided in the boss to receive bolts by which the plate 85 may be secured to a flange portion of the pivoted arm 64, the slotted end of the plate extending toward the right end of the machine, as seen in Fig. 1. A counterbored aperture 88 is provided at the slotted end of the plate to accommodate a spring post 89, the lower end of which is arranged to pass freely through the aperture 88 and to be threadedly secured in anaperture of the plate I3 of the hinged bracket 6?. The post 89 carries a relatively weak coil spring 90 which seatsat its lower end in the counterbore of the aperture 88. The upper end of the spring 90 abuts a collar 92 which is adjustably secured on the upper end of the post. Normally, that is when the hinged bracket'is held in position by the latched finger 19, the star wheel 62 will be pressed down against the upper surface of the belt by the force of the coil spring acting at the extreme right end of the. plate 85.

The description thus far has been a general one of features of the web belt loading machine which are in current use.

A feature of the present invention, which enhances the grip of the upper and lower star wheels on the web belt, particularly at the time when the force acting to move the belt transversely is greatest, is shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and comprises a bracket 93 having an aperture 94 at one end and welded or otherwise firmly secured at its opposite end to the plate I3 in a substantially horizontal plane parallel to the plane of the guide plate 14. A second spring post 95 is adapted to be secured at its lower end in the aperture 94 of the bracket 93 and to extend upwardly substantially vertically, when in normal position, through a second counterbored aperture 96 provided in the plate 85, the aperture 96 being immediately adjacent the upper star wheel. A relatively stifi coil spring 91 is carried on the post 95 being supported at its base in the counterbore of the aperture 96. The upper end of the coil spring 91 abuts an adjustable collar or nut 98 on the upper end of the post 95.

In accordance with this construction, the relatively light force provided by the spring 90 and acting to hold the upper star wheel 62 down against the belt is augmented during the second step in the pocketing operation by the force of the relatively stiff spring 91 whereby the bite of the upper and lower star wheels is increased and the tendency for the belt to be displaced or to creep transversely of the track during the pock-' eting operation is minimized.

The present invention also contemplates an additional feature to positively hold the belt from transverse displacement during the cartridge pocketing operation. Referring to Fig. 3, the frame II embodies a bracket 99 to which is secured an upper guide I00 of the pusher block 20. Mounted on the upper guide I00 is an L- shaped bracket I02 (Fig. 5), one leg I03 of which is secured to the top of the guide I00 by suitable fastening means arranged to enable limited lateral adjustment of the bracket with respect to the guide. The leg I 04 of the bracket is arranged to overhang the front face of the guide I00 immediately above the pusher head 22 of the reciprocating pusher block 20; and to provide a substantially vertical planar surface I04 which constitutes a way for slidably supporting a vertically reciprocating ram indicated generally at I05. The latter is a substantially rectangular block having longitudinal guide ribs I06 along its opposite sides and is adapted to be held against the vertical way I04 by suitable guide blocks I0'I which are secured in spaced parallel relationship on opposite sides of the way I04, each guide block being adapted to make a smooth sliding fit with the respective guide ribs I06 of the ram I05. Longitudinal relief recesses I08 are provided on opposite sides of the ram to receive suitable prong members I09 each of which com-- prises a relatively thin flat piece of material ar-' ranged to be secured in one of the relief recesses of the ram by suitable fastening means and provided at its lower depending end with a pair of sharp tines I09. The distance between the respective prong members I09 is such that the prongs will straddle a cartridge as it is being advanced by the pusher head 22 into a pocket of the web belt, the tines I09 of the respective prongs penetrating the fabric of the belt at the.

asses es 7 adjacent edge thereof and on opposite sides respectively of the pocket.

The ram M35 is arranged to be moved vertically in the guides ll-l by drive :mechanism comprising a pivoted lever arm H0, the :forward end Ml of whichisof reduced section and adapted to extend intoand to engage the. shoulder of a substantially rectangular recess Hi5 formed 'in the :back of the ram so as tosupport the ram in the vertical way 104'. The opposite .end .ofthe lever arm has trunnions M2 for 'pivotally mounting the arm in suitable bearing bloc-ks, see Fig. 2., secured to the frame or" the machine. .Adj acent the :forward end of the :lever arm is a coil spring 1 M "which isiiastened at its upper end to flre underside of the .arm H and at its lower end to a fixed part of the frame, thus serving to bias the :forward end of the lever arm downwardly. The forward end of the lever arm is positively elevated :by means of a rotating cam which in the present embodiment, comprises a cam shoe H5 secured on the periphery :of the left hand .disk 33 of the drum cam 34, see Fig. .2, and adapted to rotatably engage .a cam roller its supported on a pin projecting laterally from the side :of the lever arm l In, the cam roller being located between the lever arm pivctand the .coil spring i M. Thus, as the drum cam rotates, the lever arm is positively engaged by the cam and pivoted counterclockwise, :as seen in Fig. 5, thereby lifting the ram T05. iVhen the rotating cam shoe disengages'lthe cam roller, the spring '1 l6 will pull the lever arm downwardly thereby releasing the ram 105 so as to enable it to slide down'in the guides l ll 'l. After being released the ram is not, however, moved down by the lever arm but is driven down ferocfully by a compressed spring Hi, the latter being arranged to be compressed during the upward movement of the ram. To this :end, the lower end of the spring H7 seats in a counterbored aperture in the top of the ram, the upper end of the spring H abutting a substantially horizontal foot H8 of a bracket 1'9 secured to the frame H of the escalator. A suitable spring pilot pin is provided which projects downwardly from the foot N8 of the bracket "into'the coil spring. The upward travel of the ram is adapted to be limited by an adjustable stopwhich, as shown in'Figs. 3 and 5, comprises a bolt 422, the shank of which is slidably'secured in an aperture of a bracket !23 secured to the escalator frame l1.

The operationof the machine is as "follows: .A web beltB is brought up onto the track '13 from the belt "box t5, and threaded beneath the guide plate M, presser shoe i3 andinto the bite of the upperan-d lower star-wheels 62 and 50, respectively. This operat'i'on'may be facilitatedbygripping the handle 68 and swinging the hinged bracket 61 upwardly and outwardly (see dotted lines Fig. 1

5) so as to raise the guide plate Hi, presser shoe 7'8, and upper starw'heel 52 away from 'thetra'ck. After the belt has been laid in place, the bracket 6''? may be swung down and locked in operating position by latching the book "80 'over the "finger 18 of the hinged bracket.

As the main drive shaft 29 rotates, the lower sta-r wheel 53 is intermittently rotated drawing the belt forwardly or to the left, as seen in Fig. 1, along the track to successively locate each packet opposite the pusher head 22. As pointed out above, the latter is provided with two shoulders'23 and 24, respectively, for progressively inserting each cartridge into a pocket of the belt in two successive thrusts of the pusher. In the 8 operation of the machine, the shoulder .24 is first adaptedto-engage the :head of a cartridge which has been released from the magazine I9 and to advance the cartridge forwardly sufiici'ently to insert substantially the bullet portion only'of the cartridge into a pocket of the belt. This may be termed the .first step of the pocketing operation and is facilitated .by the eccentrically mounted shuttle 48, the tongue 49 of which is adapted to be tangentially engaged by the nose of the advancing bullet and pushed thereby between the upper and lower fabrics to 'open the pocket and guide the bullet therein. The pusher is then retracted and the belt advanced along the track by the lower star wheel :50 a distance corresponding to the width of one pocket. The pusher is then adapted to be a'dvanced forwardly again this time to engage its shoulder 23 against the head of the partially pocketed :cartridge and force the latter toIits positioniinthepocket. This operation may :be termed the second pocketing operation. It will be clear that as the partially pocketed cartridge is rmovedv from the first pocketing operati'on into position for the second pocketing operation, it will pass into the bite of the upper andlowernstar wheels 62 and 50 respectively causing the upperwheel 52 .to be displaced upwardly slightly against the restraining .force of the relatively light spring 90. With thepartially pocketed cartridge in this position, the web belt is momentarily halted and the prongs H19 of the ram 1:95 thereupon descend on the opposite sides of the partially pocketed cartridge and penetrate the edge. of the belt so .as to positively hold the belt and prevent any 'transversed movement thereof relative to its direction of travel. The pusher 22.0 then makes its second pocketing stroke during whichi'ts-shoulder 23 engages the head of the partially pocketed cartridge and moves it forwardly into final position in the pocket. It will be evident'that as the relatively large shoulder and bodyportions of the cartridge are pushed into the pocket, the force tending to move the belt transversely increases; and that the upper .45 star wheel will be displaced upwardly by the increased size of the body and shoulder portions of the cartridge. However, any tendency of the belt to move transversely is positively prevented by "the prongs of the ram and the additional displacement of the uppersta-r wheel is resisted both by the relatively weak spring and by the relativelystiir' spring 9'! acting in conjunction therewith so that the grip or bite of the upper and lower wheels is increased, thereby further "minimizing any tendency of the "belt 'to creep or move transversely during the "second pocketing operation. It will be appreciated that during the second pocketing operation, the shoulder 2 10f thepusher will have partially advanced a second cartridge into the next succeeding pocket of the belt as described above. As the pusher again recedes, the vertically reciprocating ram M15 is elevated by the cam actuated lever arm H'D thereby withdrawing the tines [09" of the prongs 109 from the web "belt. The belt is then advanced along the track for the next succeeding pocketing operation. Throughout the pocketing operations. the contact finger T11 of the 'microswitch 16 will slide 'over the web belt, but as soon as the belt runs out the finger 11 will drop down thereby operating a microswitch to shut off the machine.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for inserting cartridges into a webbelt provided with individual cartridge receiving pockets disposedtransverselyof said belt:

the combination comprising a belt receiving table and support therefor; cartridge inserting means comprising a reciprocating pusher adapted to thrust cartridges endwise over an edge of said belt and into said pockets; means for holding said belt against transverse displacement under the thrust of said pusher comprising a pair of holding feet adapted to engage said belt adjacent said edge thereof and on opposite sides of the cartridge being inserted therein and means for reciprocating said feet toward and away from said belt in timed relation to the movement of said pusher; and belt feeding means comprising a lower notched wheel adapted to partially encircle a cartridge in a pocket in said belt, an upper notched wheel cooperating with said lower notched wheel and rotatably supported in a pivoted arm, and a plurality of spring means associated with said arm and urging said upper notched Wheel toward said lower notched wheel.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a part only of said plurality of springs are effective during the insertion in a belt pocket of the bullet and neck portion of a cartridge, and the entire plurality are efifective during the insertion of the shoulder and body portions of a cartridge.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the pivot support of said pivoted arm is an element of an assembly which is rotatable about a fixed support from an operating position to a position affording access to said table, lower notched wheel and associated parts.

MICHAEL J. GREBOWIEC.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,391,568 Hall et a1 Dec. 25, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,341 Great Britain June 26, 1914 

